This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Well I'm taking some time with my quiet friend
Well I'm takin' some time on my own.
Well I'm makin' some plans for my getaway
There'll be blue skies shining up above
When I'm cloud hidden
Cloud hidden
Whereabouts unknown
Well I've got to get out of the rat-race now
I'm tired of the ways of mice and men
And the empires all turning into rust again.
Out of everything nothing remains the same
That's why I'm cloud hidden
Cloud hidden
Whereabouts unknown
Bridge
Sittin' up on the mountain-top in my solitude
Where the morning fog comes rollin' in
Just might do me some good.
Well I'm waiting in the clearing with my motor on
Well it's time to get back to the town again
Where the air is sweet and fresh in the countryside
Well it won't be long before I get back here again.
Well I'm takin' some time on my own.
Well I'm makin' some plans for my getaway
There'll be blue skies shining up above
When I'm cloud hidden
Cloud hidden
Whereabouts unknown
Well I've got to get out of the rat-race now
I'm tired of the ways of mice and men
And the empires all turning into rust again.
Out of everything nothing remains the same
That's why I'm cloud hidden
Cloud hidden
Whereabouts unknown
Bridge
Sittin' up on the mountain-top in my solitude
Where the morning fog comes rollin' in
Just might do me some good.
Well I'm waiting in the clearing with my motor on
Well it's time to get back to the town again
Where the air is sweet and fresh in the countryside
Well it won't be long before I get back here again.
Lyrics submitted by yuri_sucupira
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Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Just A Little Lovin'
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Somewhere Only We Know
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Per the FAQ on Keane's website, Keane's drummer Richard Hughes, stated the following:
"We've been asked whether "Somewhere Only We Know" is about a specific place, and Tim has been saying that, for him, or us as individuals, it might be about a geographical space, or a feeling; it can mean something individual to each person, and they can interpret it to a memory of theirs... It's perhaps more of a theme rather than a specific message... Feelings that may be universal, without necessarily being totally specific to us, or a place, or a time..."
With the nostalgic sentiment and the overall tone of the song, I think Keane is attempting to express a Portuguese term known as 'saudade', which does not have a direct English translation but roughly means "that which we remember because it is gone."
The combination of Alan Watts's words and Van Morrison's music is inevitably going to lead to some kind of spiritual healing from the disillusionment associated with the submission of the soul to the powers that rule.
This song convey the disolutionment with attempts to make the world a better place. The voice has decided to leave hectic society and go to a place where he can find peace and solitude. Great song and lyrics.
This song convey the disolutionment with attempts to make the world a better place. The voice has decided to leave hectic society and go to a place where he can find peace and solitude. Great song and lyrics.
I happened across this passage in a book (Nature, Man and Woman) by Alan Watts the other day, which I'd say clearly pertains to the song. It is a quote of a poem by Chia Tao called 'Searching for the Hermit in Vain'
I asked the boy beneath the pines. He said, "The Master's gone alone Herb-picking somewhere on the mount, Cloud-hidden, whereabouts unknown.
I believe this may have been the inspiration for the song, in terms of modern man's search for something more real than the town and the empires that keep turning to rust (all the surface chatter of life).
Even when he says he's heading back to town, he states how he know's he'll be back to the countryside again soon. Like the hermit on the mount who cannot be found by the seeker, Morrison is heading off into the depths of the Real. And like the seeker, we cannot expect to find the hermit and recieve our teaching; we too have to venture into the clouds.